Anchorage International Airport and Cook Inlet

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

, Sand Lake is the area surrounding Sand Lake, a stocked lake in the southwest part of the city. It is south of the

Ted Stevens International Airport Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a major airport in the U.S. state of Alaska, located southwest of downtown Anchorage. The airport is named for Ted Stevens, a U.S. senator from Alaska in office from 1968 to 2009. It is included ...

and Lake Spenard. The lake itself has a surface area of . It is one of the few big-city lakes in the world with

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

and

Pacific loon The Pacific loon or Pacific diver (''Gavia pacifica''), is a medium-sized member of the loon, or diver, family. Taxonomy and etymology The Pacific loon, previously considered conspecific with the similar black-throated loon, was classified as ...

populations. Its shores are mostly privately owned, but a small park to the northeast allows public access. Kayakers, fishermen, picnickers and birdwatchers frequent the area.Michelle Malkin » THE SCOUT JAMBOREE TRAGEDY
The lake is stocked with fish by the

Alaska Department of Fish and Game The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is a department within the government of Alaska. ADF&G's mission is to protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of the state, and manage their use and development in ...

with

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coast ...

and

salmon Salmon () is the common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of ...

. Northern pike, illegally introduced to the lake, are significant predators on rainbow trout and salmon and have a detrimental impact on these populations. In 2006 residents of the lake asked the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) for help in removing northern pike from the lake and initial planning began resulting in the application of the fish poison rotenone in 2009 to restore the fishery. In 2010 surveys confirmed that the lake was free of northern pike and ADF&G restocked the lake with rainbow trout, Arctic char, and Arctic grayling. In July 2011 an invasive aquatic plant, ''

Elodea ''Elodea'' is a genus of 6 species of aquatic plants often called the waterweeds described as a genus in 1803. Classified in the frog’s-bit family (Hydrocharitaceae), ''Elodea'' is native to the Americas and is also widely used as aquarium ve ...

'', was discovered in dense growths in Sand Lake as well as nearby DeLong and Little Campbell Lakes. It has also been found in Chena Slough and Chena Lakes in Fairbanks; a few lakes near Cordova; and Daniels, Stormy, and Beck Lakes on the Kenai Peninsula. It is suspected that it may have entered the lake through the dumping of an aquarium as this species is a popular aquatic plant used by aquarium hobbyists and is commonly used as a teaching specimen in local middle schools. This introduction is of much concern due to Elodea's ability to negatively impact recreational uses, floatplane operations, fish and wildlife habitat, and property values. Another local attraction is

Kincaid Park Kincaid Park is a municipal park in Anchorage, Alaska, located at 9401 W. Raspberry Road. The park is bounded on the south by Turnagain Arm, on the west by Knik Arm, and on the north by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Noted for Nor ...

to the west. Generally, the residential area becomes more affluent near the lake, with a wide range of demographics expanding out. The local High School is

Dimond High School A. J. Dimond High School (DHS) is a public four-year high school in Anchorage, Alaska, and is a part of the Anchorage School District. It has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Dimond serves students in the ...

although some students attend

South Anchorage High School South Anchorage High School is a public high school that serves grades 9-12 in Anchorage, Alaska, as well as students from neighboring Turnagain Arm communities of Girdwood and Indian. South Anchorage High School is part of the Anchorage Schoo ...

. The neighborhood was hard hit by the

2005 National Scout Jamboree The 2005 National Scout Jamboree was the 16th national Scout jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America and was held from July 25, 2005 through August 3, 2005 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Normally, the next jamboree would be held four years afterward ...

accident, which killed four Anchorage residents. Recent developments in the area include the addition of over 700 homes to in the new West Park subdivision, one of the largest additions to Anchorage in years.mainwebbanner
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References

External links

Local Council WebsiteAbout the Lake Itself
{{authority control Bodies of water of Anchorage, Alaska Lakes of Alaska Neighborhoods in Anchorage, Alaska

See also

References

External links